Everybody Sing 'Ah!'

:: Heartfelt notes from youth

:: Donation inspires change

:: Program encourages excellence

:: Youth passion for classical music

:: Read entire story

For Taryn Curry, a soprano who has always lived on her family's farm in Madison, Kansas, simply being away from home was a learning experience. "It was hard the first couple of days," she recalls. "But I got to know everybody, and we weren't as different as I thought we were. It was eye opening."

"People are starting to lose respect for classical music because it's not something our age group connects with," says Curry. "I don't think many people will go through something like I did at the choral academy. It's the experience of a lifetime. If anybody ever experiences it like we did in those ten days, I think they would love it forever."

Getting young people to love classical music is the point, says Brad Stangeland of Eugene, a board member of the Oregon Bach Festival. The Stangeland Foundation was started by Brad's parents, Roger and Lilah, to further educational opportunities, especially for youths.

"This is one of the core components of the Oregon Bach Festival," says Stangeland. "We must give kids a chance to participate and understand this great music, or the future of orchestral and choral music will be lost."